The Whole Enchilada

I've always heard the saying "Two halves make a whole."  But, do they where human beings are concerned? (Matthew 6:24)

I think the saying originated concerning human relationships. However, I believe that God did not make us a half where relationships are concerned. We are only incomplete without God!  (Colossians 2:10)

Once we have accepted Jesus Christ into our hearts, we become whole! And when we are whole and in God's word, we can accept another person into our lives!   (Romans 12:1-2)

The Bible speaks of love 281 times! We seem to spend our whole lives searching for love, when it is right under our noses. God's love is infinite! God's love is complete and unfailing!  (Psalms 136:1-3)

Am I saying that a relationship is something that isn't required by God?  
(1 Corinthians 7:9)

God does not pair us all up.  Read your Bible. Does each man have a wife? Or each woman have a husband?

I am stating that you must have God in order to have a lasting, loving relationship with another human being. How can you grow together if you are not both born again Christians living in God's word? You can not. You will become stagnant. (Consider the book of 1 Kings)

I really feel that, in order to find the person that God intends for you to spend your life with, you must have a loving, working relationship with Daddy, first. 
There is a tumblr floating around that I really like and that speaks volumes to me. It simply states, "A woman's heart should be so lost in God that a man must seek Him to find her."  There is beauty in simplicity and this says it all.  But, on the other side of that, it works the same for men, also. 

"But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well."  Matthew 6:33

God bless you all in your walk with our Savior and in your journey to find your mate.  He will provide.  (Philippians 4:19)

Turning Water Into Wine

On my way to take my beautiful babies to school this morning, I asked them if they had ever read the scripture of Jesus turning water into wine.  And they said, "No, Mommy. What's it about?"  I told them that tonight, at our devotional at home, we would cover the story.  
(On the third day there was a wedding. It took place at Cana in Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there. ² Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. ³ When the wine was gone, Jesus’ mother said to him, “They have no more wine.”

⁴ “Dear woman, why do you bring me into this?” Jesus replied. “My time has not yet come.”

⁵ His mother said to the servants, “Do what he tells you.”

⁶ Six stone water jars stood nearby. The Jews used water from that kind of jar for special washings to make themselves pure. Each jar could hold 20 to 30 gallons.

⁷ Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water.” So they filled them to the top.

⁸ Then he told them, “Now dip some out. Take it to the person in charge of the dinner.”

They did what he said. ⁹ The person in charge tasted the water that had been turned into wine. He didn’t realize where it had come from. But the servants who had brought the water knew.

Then the person in charge called the groom to one side. ¹⁰ He said to him, “Everyone brings out the best wine first. They bring out the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink. But you have saved the best until now.”

¹¹ That was the first of Jesus’ miraculous signs. He did it at Cana in Galilee. Jesus showed his glory by doing it. And his disciples put their faith in him. 

John 2:1-11)

As I am researching the story, I remembered it was about a wedding falling short of drink. His mother brought the problem to His attention and His response was, "Dear woman, why do you bring me into this?"  

In reality, we should bring Jesus into EVERYTHING in our lives. When we do, something miraculous happens. We see blessings where, once, there were problems. We see opportunities where, once, there were stumbling blocks.
We see love where, once, there was doubt. 

His mother responds, to the servants, "Do what he tells you."

Now, let's look at that. REALLY look at that.  "Do what he tells you." It's so magnificently simple. It's so breathtakingly comprehensible. WHY is so hard for us to do?   That's simple, as well. We are too busy trying to control every little detail in our lives. Do you doubt His blessings? Do you doubt His love? Do you doubt His penchant for turning water into wine? Somewhere, in the backs of our minds, we do.  We have to have the absolute, ultimate faith in Him. HE WILL SEE US THROUGH AND LOVE US UNCONDITIONALLY. He does NOT want us to fail. He wants us to succeed and bloom in His love!

He tells the servants "Fill the jars with water."  

That water is faith. Faith that He will do as He has said in His word SO MANY TIMES!  Fill your jar with water, my friends. Fill it to overflowing. Faith in so much abundance is where your journey will begin in the walk with our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. 

The person in charge commented on how you have saved the best until now. 

Indeed, we seem to save the best for last in our lives. Jesus is a second thought, an after thought, until we have tried our humanly ways to solve a problem or overcome an obstacle. Why? Quite simple, again. We do not seem to want Him to prove Himself in our lives for fear of handing control away. Are we so blind as to what awaits us when we give the illusion of control to the devil and step towards our Savior on pure faith? Some of us, maybe. The rest of us, no. We are too stubborn, too selfish, and too self-involved to let go and let God. Do it. Do it now and without hesitation. You will be so glad that you let Daddy take the wheel. 

In closing, I'd like to share a small prayer that I pray when I feel that I have lost control...
"God, I am at a loss. I have tried my way yet again. And I am sorry. I ask You to take this from me and that Your will be done in every aspect of my life. Amen."

God bless you all and have a day where your water overflows into absolute faith!

Satan Is Determined

If you are determined to follow God and do His will, then Satan is determined to follow you and make sure that you fall. 

How do you determine what is good for you and what is bad for you? Do you read labels and compare ingredients? Do you comparison shop online before purchasing an item? Do you research the components of a certain item that you want and see where it can be purchased for the least amount?

For me, that approach seems to always lead to an internal battle and a massive headache at the end. I seem to be an impulse person. I determine what's best for me and charge right into it without a thought as to what the outcome might be in my life.

I believe that God has a plan for each person. He created each of us, not by chance, but by His own will. He holds our future in His hands. He has control, not us.

So, instead of "label shopping" or "comparison buying" or "bargain hunting", we should be on our knees praying for discernment in determining what GOD wants for us.  (Galatians 6:9)

This is where Satan steps in, big time.

He starts by putting doubts in your mind. 
"Does God really want me to do this or do I want do this?" 
And then he proceeds to up the ante, so to speak.
"Well, maybe I'm not hearing God right. Maybe He really wanted me to zig instead of zag."
And then he closes in for the utter down fall of your determination to follow God's will.
"How do I really know what God is saying? How can I hear him when I'm such a screw up? How can I determine what is right when I can't even make a good decision on my own."
On my own? On my own?! You can not achieve ANYTHING for God own your own. If you don't give EVERYTHING over to God, then you have defeated your cause before you even begin. (Philippians 4:13)

For myself, if I even have the slightest doubt or feeling that I am not living in His word and His will, I immediately pray. I pray until I feel Him, until I hear Him. I won't move until I can feel His arms around me. Then, and only then, do I feel safe enough to keep moving and striving and determining my next move.  (Psalms 27:14)

So, let's view it as a daily foot race. The ultimate goal is living in God's word. You have the starting line. Putting your foot on that line is a determination to serve the will of God.  Now, getting into position for the pistol to fire.  You hunker down and pull on all of your inner strength.  You harness your energy to prepare yourself for the mental, emotional, spiritual and sometimes physical onslaught that will be required of you to keep yourself in God's word.
The pistol fires...and you're off! You are now running in his word, but remember to pace yourself or you will tire and become weak, therefore allowing Satan to get in the door. You see your goal in sight! As you round the corner, you see the finish line coming into view. You use that energy that you've reserved to put that extra push in  your step and zoom past Satan, running through that ribbon that signifies the end of the race, or the end of your day.  (1 Corinithians 9:24-27)

At the end of your day, what do you want to feel like you've accomplished?
Determination is the only way to accomplish a goal. Why not make your goal to serve Christ in all that you do? Why not decide to be a blessing? Why not ask God for a better attitude, each and every day?

Seeking A Godly Partner In Life

I believe that God wants us to be happy and that He wants us to share that happiness with a life mate, a spouse.
In 2 Corinthians 6:14, it is made apparent that He wants us to join with other believers. It is His word that states "Can light and darkness be friends?"  No. They can not. So, first object in seeking a Godly spouse: Make sure that person holds the same beliefs. He wants those partners to be faithful to one another and make Him first. He wants the husband to leave his parents and cleave unto his wife. He wants the wife to be loving.
Now as to my specific list as to what I want in a mate, I can tell you this:
I want a Christian man, founded in his faith with God; A man who is honest and a hard worker; A man who is loyal and takes his role in the family seriously; A man who will be the leader in our household, spiritually as well as in other aspects.
My role, as a wife, a woman, would be to submit to my husband (Most women find that word to be offensive, in this day and age. It is not meant to be offensive. It is meant to be a declaration to your husband that you trust him and know that he loves you and will do the right thing for you, your children and your marriage.) and to raise our children in God's word; to make home a wonderful place, one that he looks forward to coming into each day; to love him and honor him and obey him (as the vows do state).
I have failed in this so many times before, but I do believe if I were to take on the role of wife again, it would be different because of my grounded faith in Jesus Christ, my Lord and Savior.  I would make sure that we were both in His word and His command with each step of our relationship.  
I found an interesting little site that had such a wonderful read on God's words and our roles in finding a spouse. Won't you click it and read it?

http://www.bibleissues.org/spouse1.html


God bless you all and have a wonderful day!